Z Nation Season 4 Premiere Gets the Thrills and Kills Right: Here Are the 6 Best Moments

In case you haven't been keeping up, Z Nation returned for its fourth season this past week. Yes, Z Nation, the zombie-filled thrill ride that looks similar to The Walking Dead has made it to Season 4, and doesn't look to be stopping any time soon. It's yet to be renewed for a fifth season, but the premiere episode definitely gave us reason to keep watching, mainly because this post-apocalyptic series actually delivers on all the zombie kills we expect.

Unlike The Walking Dead, which seemingly forgets from time to time that the universe therein is covered in #zombies, Z Nation actually spends a fair amount of time emphasizing zombie kills, giving us the graphic depictions we expect to see take place in a post-apocalyptic landscape. So, as long as the current season keeps up this momentum and the writers don't change what they've been doing so far, there's a good chance Z Nation will be renewed for another season—if only for the mass zombie kills we’re privy to in each episode. That said, let's check out some of the more spectacular moments from the Season 4 premiere and explore why Z Nation needs to continue.

1. Doc Takes the Fight to the Z's

"Daaaamn!" is the best way to describe Doc’s return. He shows up in classic Z Nation style, swinging for the fences right from the start. When the scene first opens up, the camera follows a rugged-looking survivor running away from a pack of zombies. This running man looks like he could be Doc until we see him get swarmed, and we learn that it isn’t him. It's at that point that the real Doc shows up in all his Gandalfy greatness, beard billowing in the wind, as he massacres several zombies with nothing but a pair of hammers in his hands.

The scene makes it evident that Doc has become a skilled death-dealer in the two year span of time skipped over during the break between Season 3 and Season 4. He wasn't able to save the guy from being killed, but now his skills have improved so dramatically that he doesn’t appear overwhelmed even when he’s on his own.

2. Doc Name-Drops Clever 'Lord Of the Rings' Reference

Doc had yet another highlight in last night's premiere episode with him making a reference to Lord of the Rings, by noting how his scruffy appearance made him look similar to Gandalf the Grey—but it doesn't resonate with the younger characters around him. Damn millennials.

3. Murphy Turns Himself Into a Company Man

To the surprise of many, Murphy has willingly accepted his position of leadership within the secreted community of survivors. He's basically the head guy, with only one other person standing above him in the hierarchy. Murphy has so much pull in this society that all the guards salute him, and don't bother to question any of his actions, including harboring an individual who could very well be infected. But their turning the other cheek to Murphy's actions has us questioning whether or not they can be trusted. If they're willing to ignore major breaches like Warren walking around, that society won't last much longer. Plus, the promo for next week's episode depicts that closed off community being attacked by Z's, so it's probably safe to say Murphy won't be in command for too much longer.

4. Addy Lost an Eye...and We Have No Idea How

One of the more intriguing developments in the Season 4 premiere was Addy's missing eye. No explanation was given, and Addy never addressed what happened to her. But we think about it, Addy losing an eye off-screen isn't all that pivotal to the story being told on #ZNation—at least, not that we know of. Were the series more like The Walking Dead, where every single aspect is critiqued to a finite degree, then we'd be right to ask what happened to Addy. This series is more of a fun ride than TWD, but we should still count on Addy's missing eye being addressed at some point in Season 4.

5. What's the Deal With Warren's Hair

First off, the new look Roberta Warren is rocking is definitely working. Like Addy's eye, we don't yet know the reason for the change, though it seems likely, considering even Warren doesn't know how it happened.

According to Warren, she woke up with the new style, and doesn't remember how or why. Is it possible her DNA was rewritten when she came into contact with Murphy's blood in the Season 3 Finale? Murphy's hair and skin color did change after the infection inside him began to evolve, so the same could've feasibly happened to her. All things considered, i'm curious to see where this plot thread leads.

6. Henry Rollins' Lt. Mueller Offers Survivor a Hug

It was a very brief moment in the episode but seeing #HenryRollins' new character Lt. Mueller on Z Nation definitely had me laughing out loud. When he first shows up on screen, Rollins is in military gear and looks to be playing a rugged jarhead type of soldier—until we see him confront a distraught survivor.

When Mueller walks up to the older woman asking for more supplies, he politely greets her and starts talking about hugs. The woman is perplexed by his comments and becomes even more confused when he hugs her. The whole interaction had me smirking, especially as it's so different from the roles in which Rollins is typically cast.

Z Nation airs Fridays 9pm EST on SyFy.